As they dream of adventures beyond the HSC – a future free of homework, curfews and parents, a life together – their plans are suddenly and dramatically derailed.

For Tai is sick.

And not everything you wish for can come true.

A poignant story of first love, hope, grief, family, and the twistedness of life.

In A Nutshell:

Everything Left Unsaid beautifully shows the pain and confusion two people can feel when faced with losing the other through no fault of their own. This is an exceptional read that I highly recommend, although make sure you have a box of tissues within reach.

My Review:In one word, this story is heartbreaking. Just thinking about it now, weeks after finishing the story, it still makes me sad. Even though I know it is just a work of fiction, I’m sure this kind of story is very real for many people.Generally, we all love stories where the two people we want to get together eventually do. In this case, they get together at the beginning of the story. It is what happens next that changes the path their story takes.Sickness and death are always sad. But when it happens to someone who is so young, it often hits us with our own morality and it somehow seems much harder to face. Young people still have their whole lives ahead of them and this is a key aspect of Tai and Juliet’s story.Everything Left Unsaid is told from the alternating perspectives of Tai and Juliet. With these dual perspectives comes the different emotions, feelings, and thoughts about both themselves, and the other. It interestingly and effectively examines the dynamics of a relationship between two eighteen-year-olds who should be focused on finishing high school, getting their driver’s licenses, spending the summer doing who-knows-what before hopefully starting university. They should not have to worry about what happens when one of them gets sick and has a very real possibility of dying. It’s heartbreaking as Tai comes to grips with everything he will never get to do, and Juliet realises everything she and Tai planned to do together, she will now have to do without her best friend.

They’re losing me – but I’m losing everything.

Tai’s illness is portrayed realistically and his process of coming to terms with his imminent death is one of shock, disbelief, denial, anger, fear and isolation. He hides a lot of what he is feeling and experiencing in order to save his family and Juliet from seeing him in pain and frustration. In turn, Juliet struggles with her emotions; to show Tai how distraught she is feeling or to try and stay strong for him? Because when it comes down to it, it isn’t about her, it is about Tai and what he is going through.

Does she know how lonely I feel, even when I’m surrounded by people?

Everything Left Unsaid beautifully shows the pain and confusion both sides endure. This is an exceptional read that I highly recommend, although make sure you have a box of tissues within reach.

2 comments:

I can't wait to get my hands on this, I've been looking forward to since I first heard about it. This sounds heartbreaking but it sounds so worth the read. And it's Aussie which makes me even more eager. Lovely review, Jess, reading this has only made me all the more excited :)